Robert Morris University celebrated Homecoming Weekend early this year by several weeks. While the cold was certainly avoided, there was still plenty of rain following the big game, but that didn’t seem to dampen any spirits of the returning alumni.
This weekend kicked off with the annual Homecoming dance held on Friday in the Charles L. Sewall Center, raking in the current student population for a night of celebration away from the textbooks and studying.
Saturday afternoon RMU opened its doors back up to returning alumni for a tailgate reunion. Graduates of all years returned to celebrate their years as students of Robert Morris.
“It’s always great to come back,” 1977 graduate Mike Smith Sr. said, “we’ve been doing this for years and years.”
For some, returning to RMU is like returning home, looking back at their time in college as the best four years of their life.
For many of the graduates however, RMU doesn’t look exactly like how they remember it. Renovations have made innumerable improvements to the campus, but while the alum don’t completely recognize the campus as when they were students, the changes are not unwelcomed.
“I think it’s a good thing they’re always trying to expand campus life,” recent 2014 graduate Thea Imbrogno said.
As the school grows so will the facilities, however Robert Morris and what the school stands for has remained the same even from decades ago.
Directly following the tailgate, RMU took on Notre Dame of Ohio in their season kick-starter homecoming football game. When asked if she thought RMU was going to win, 2011 graduate Janene Luther Szpall said, “Absolutely. Go Bobby Mo,” proving that school spirit is timeless.
RMU did not disappoint their alumni, and the weather held off until the very end as RMU secured their first victory over the Falcons 35-24. During halftime, the Homecoming Court marched onto the field, and seniors Logan Douglas of Kappa Delta Rho and Lea Chrisman of Delta Phi Epsilon were crowned as RMU’s 2015 Homecoming King and Queen.
Despite some of the alumni graduating more than 30 years ago, their RMU pride is as youthful as ever. “I’m so proud to be a part of this and say this is my university,” said 1971 graduate Jim Brehove, “even though it’s been so long I still take a lot of pride in it.” and many will continue to take a lot of pride in RMU as it continues to grow.